Finger attachment for signaling devices.



B. J.JONES. FINGER ATTACHMENT FOR SIGNALING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED H P-II. I2, I9I6.

Patented MarA; 1919.

OFFICE.

Born 2;. Jones, on COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 rm: J'onEs-msHna COMPANY,or

COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION or onto.

FINGER ATTACHMENT FOR SIGNALING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4:, 1919.

Application filed April 12, 1916. I Serial No. 90,761.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Econ J. Jones, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Finger Attachments forSignaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to finger attachments designed for use inconnection with the signaling mechanism of automobiles and similarvehicles. This attachment is designed to be applied to the finger of thewearer whereby the switch forming a portion of the attachment may bereadily closed to sound a warning without the necessity of the operatorreaching to a distant point to either close a switch or operate thesounding mechanism directly. The switch itself is designed to be closedby a slight pressure of the finger on the steering wheel and, therefore,is always within ready reach. This arrangement must of necessity savesome time in the operation of the sounding device and while the amountof time saved may be very little, yet a small fraction of a second maybesufficient to prevent an accident.

The main object of my invention resides in a combined thimble and switchstructure, the thimble being so shaped to fit the end of the finger ofthe wearer and being of material suiiiciently flexible to permit theclosure of the switch proper by a slight pressure on the steering wheel.i I

The preferred embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying sheetof drawings, in which similar characters of reference designatecorresponding parts, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my invention in use,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the manner in which the thimble maybe applied to the finger of the wearer,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken through the thimbleand switch structure,

Fig. 4; is a horizontal section taken through the structure shown inFig. 3, and,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4:.

The switch itself comprises an insulating strip 1 provided with a pairof rivets 2 and 3 in connection with which the wire connections 4 and 5are attached.

These wires 4;.

shown at 6 and lead to any source of current supply. Preferably, thecord is secured in some manner to the steering column since this columnis the center of rotation of the steering wheel. This manner ofattaching the cord is shown at 7 in Fig. 1. Further, it is desirable toprovide the cord between the attachment 7 and the switch proper with adetachable joint which has been represented at 8. By means of thisseparable connector, the switch member and its surrounding structure maybe removed when the operator leaves the vehicle to preventunauthorizedpersons from operating the sounding mechanism. To the rivet 2 there isrigidly secured a switch arm shown at 9, this switch arm being bentafter the manner shown and contacting at its extreme left end with thein sulat-ing strip, as is shown at 10. At the point opposite the rivet3, it is provided with aslightly enlarged portion 11 and the arm itselfis of slightly resilient material so that a slight pressure will causethe arm 9 and the rivet 3 to be elcctricallyconneeted whereby theelectric circuit through the rivets 3 and is completed. I have provideda flexible thimble 12 to completely surround the switch mechanism andhave also made this thimble of a size to comfortably fit the finger ofthe wearer. The thimble is itself made of flexible material such asrubber, leather, cloth or the like, to permit the switch mechanism to beclosed by a slight pressure on the steering wheel and in order tofurther protect the finger of the wearer from the rivets 2 and 3, I haveprovided a second thimble 13 which may be termed as the internal thimbleand it is between this and the thimble 12 that this switch mechanism aswell as the wires leading to the rivets 2 and 3 are located.

From the foregoing description, taken in the sounding mechanism, thecable or cord 6 may be broken by means of the separable connector shownat 8 whereby the operator soundingmechanism.

hat 1 claim, is:

1. A finger attachment signaling device adapted for use in connectionwith the steering wheel of an automobile comprising a flexible thim'blestructure adapted to be sli )ed over and es the forward ")ortion of efinger, a pressure operated switch located within said thnnble structureso that pres sure against the finger will close said switch,

and Wire connections ieeding from said switch.

2. A finger attachment signaling device adapted for use in connectionwith the steer.

ing wheel of an automobile comprising an assembled double WalledfiGKllOlG thnnbie structure adapted t0 he slipped. over and fit theforward portion of a finger, a pressure operated switch located betweenthe inner and outer pertions of said thnnble structure so that pressureby the finger will close said switch and wire ccnnecticns leading fromsaid switch cut through. said thiinbie' structure 8. A finger attachmentsignaling device, adapted for use in connection with the steering; wheelof an automobile, comprising a flexible finger member for fitting overthe end of e. finger, en'insulator strip within said thimble member, apair of rivets secured to said strip, a wire connection leading to eachof said rivets, and a spring switch member secured to one of said rivetsand normally out of contact with the other rivet said strip and switchmember being located between said wheel and the finger so that pressureby the finger will close said switch.

In testimony whercei' I affix my signature in presence of twe witnesses.

RUDD J. JONES.

i vitnesses /ALTER (I. L. B0011 A. L. Iinnnrs.

